Long overdue assistance
This administration has repeatedly called for unity and for us to move forward in our march to progress and prosperity which they claimed has already started and is just around the corner. But its appeal seems to be just exactly the opposite of what it is doing. It is noticeably trying to improve its continuously sagging credibility by adopting moves supposedly intended to alleviate our hardships but are actually intended to divert public attention away from the various anomalies and scandals besetting it and to cow into silence its staunchest critics.
This is best exemplified by its moves against Meralco, a sister company of ABS-CBN, its most vocal critic. The political undertone of these moves is so evident because it is spearheaded by diehard administration allies in the Senate led by a provocative and acerbic tongued Senator who conveniently shift loyalties and by the chief implementer of the Marcos Martial Law who managed to survive politically up to now by turning against his former boss.
The political motive behind all these moves is further shown by Malacañang’s reaction to the latest explosive and damaging photographs of the first couple playing golf and “socializing” with ZTE officials in
Requiring Meralco to reduce its supposedly exorbitant electric rates is apparently a most welcome move especially by electricity consumers. It may really boost the image of the administration as champion of the suffering masses which is always mindful of the plight of the poor. This is the same image it would like to project in its previous other actions concerning the rice crisis, food shortage and soaring prices of commodities.
But somehow suspicion lingers that these crises are only ploys to shift public attention away from the unresolved scandals and corrupt practices besetting the administration under the guise of helping our poor countrymen; and that the moves to avert or solve them like the family access cards for cheap rice, the P500 “Ahon Pinoy” financial assistance and the gasoline discount cards are mere modes of dispensing political patronage. Indeed the billions of pesos of government funds to be used in subsidizing these programs will surely benefit the administration candidates in the coming elections.
There is however one particular and simple act that the government can do to show its sincerity in helping our countrymen. It does not have to reach out far and wide. It can start within its own rank and file of civil servants who have been deprived of what is due them under the law in the form of cost of living allowance and other financial assistance like the amelioration allowance and equity allowance.
Prior to the passage of the Salary Standardization Law (R.A. 6758) on
This DBM move triggered a spate of court cases where the lowly government employees had to spend for litigation expenses. Eventually on
With respect to other government employees and civil servants including public school teachers, the SC ruling on
With all these SC rulings, the government should no longer have any qualms in giving this meager financial assistance to the rank and file civil servants. Any doubt should be resolved in favor of these poor employees especially during these hard times. It is the height of unfairness for the DBM and this government to scrimp on this expenditure when it can release billions of pesos for Congressional pork barrel. The government should have no part in this rank inequality. Giving this long overdue financial assistance will prove its sincerity in helping our lowly countrymen especially within its own rank and file.
Note: Books containing compilation of my articles on Labor Law and Criminal Law (Vols. I and II) are now available. Call tel. 7249445.
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